title: Preferences for photographic art among hospitalized patients with cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the preferences of patients with cancer for viewing photographic art in an inpatient hospital setting and to evaluate the impact of viewing photographic art.
  
  
  METHODS
  Quantitative, exploratory, single-group, post-test descriptive design incorporating qualitative survey questions.
  
  
  METHODS
  An academic medical center in the midwestern United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  80 men (n = 44) and women (n = 36) aged 19-85 years (X = 49) and hospitalized for cancer treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants viewed photographs via computers and then completed a five-instrument electronic survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fatigue, quality of life, performance status, perceptions of distraction and restoration, and content categories of photographs.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-six percent of participants enjoyed looking at the study photographs. The photographs they preferred most often were lake sunset (76%), rocky river (66%), and autumn waterfall (66%). The most rejected photographs were amusement park (54%), farmer's market vegetable table (51%), and kayakers (49%). The qualitative categories selected were landscape (28%), animals (15%), people (14%), entertainment (10%), imagery (10%), water (7%), spiritual (7%), flowers (6%), and landmark (3%). Some discrepancy between the quantitative and qualitative sections may be related to participants considering water to be a landscape.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The hypothesis that patients' preferences for a category of photographic art are affected by the psychophysical and psychological qualities of the photographs, as well as the patients' moods and characteristics, was supported.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses can play an active role in helping patients deal with the challenges of long hospital stays and life-threatening diagnoses through distraction and restoration interventions such as viewing photographic images of nature.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Nurses can use photographic imagery to provide a restorative intervention during the hospital experience. Photographic art can be used as a distraction from the hospital stay and the uncertainty of a cancer diagnosis. Having patients view photographs of nature is congruent with the core nursing values of promoting health, healing, and hope.
authors.affiliation: Blood and Marrow Transplant Unit, Froedtert Hospital and the Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, USA. hazelhanson@att.net
authors.forename: Hazel
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Schroeter
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hanson
authors.forename: Kathryn
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Asmus
authors.forename: Azure
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Grossman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001154:Art; D002173:Cancer Care Facilities; D004779:Environment Design; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000451:nursing* / Q000523:psychology*; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000523:psychology*; D010781:Photography; D012146:Rest / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult